continued from here ( @kinkiskarmas )
Jamie didn’t flinch at the sharpness in Theo’s voice. It hit him, sure, but not in a way that made him back down. If anything, it settled in his chest like something he almost deserved. He’d pushed too far. Again. But he didn’t regret it. He never would. The way his full name rolled off Theo’s tongue made his heart thud in his chest. Not Jamie, not the name everyone else used. Jameson. Like he was being scolded and seen all at once. He swallowed hard as he stared at the older man, his pulse thrumming hard in his throat. “You only call me that when you’re trying not to feel something. When you want to remind yourself I’m off-limits. Like using my full name makes it easier to pretend this doesn’t exist.” He let that hang in the air for a moment, searching Theo’s profile even as he refused to meet his eyes. “You don’t look at me like I’m just some kid with a crush. You don’t act like this is nothing. And I get it, I do… You’ve got your life, and I’m not trying to blow it up. But I’m also not gonna pretend I don’t see the way your hands shake when you tell me to stop. Or how you never quite do.” Jamie took a breath, then stepped back; not because he wanted to, but because he thought maybe he should. “I’m not here to make this harder for you,” he continued, his tone softer now, more exposed. “But you don’t get to act like I’m imagining this. You don’t have to say anything. You don’t even have to look at me. I just needed you to know… I’m not walking into this blind.” He hesitated, then added, voice barely above a whisper now, “And if you really don’t feel anything… If it’s all in my head, just say it, Theo. I’ll stop. But don’t hide behind my name like it means you don’t care.”
